Prescription psychotropic drug use among racial/ethnic women is explored. Women in three ethnic categories of white non-Hispanic, black, and Hispanic are compared. Approximately 90 women between the ages of 18 and 50 years of age are participants. Attention is focused on patterns of prescription drug use, particularly minor tranquilizers, and on the prescription drug user's lifestyle. Four hypotheses are tested: North American women of different racial/ethnic backgrounds have similar patterns of prescription drug use; legal channels are the principal sources of prescription drugs; prescription drug use among women has predominantly iatrogenic origins; and women's responses to stress are consistent across race/ethnic categories although sources of stress may vary. The project also provides a cross-cultural comparison of procurement systems and social support systems; an analysis of the relationship of folk curing traditions to prescription drug use; an analysis of age distribution of user within and across cultural settings; and a description of alternative strategies for relieving tensions.